Facebook helps cops find missing ‘boy’ in Mumbai after 7 years

A 15-year-old boy who had gone missing from his house here in 2011 has been traced to Mumbai with the help of social networking site, Facebook and reunited with his family, a senior police official said Tuesday.

On January 31, 2011 a complaint was lodged at Malkajgiri Police station stating that Kumar, then 15-year-old left his house at Moula Ali here without informing his caretakers (sister and brother-in-law) and did not return. (Reuters)

A 15-year-old boy who had gone missing from his house here in 2011 has been traced to Mumbai with the help of social networking site, Facebook and reunited with his family, a senior police official said Tuesday. The boy, Sujeeth Kumar Jha, who is now a 23-year-old man, was picked up by a police team from Mumbai, Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh M Bhagwat said.

The joy of the parents and relativesknew no bounds, when they met Kumar, who is presently working under a catering contractor in Mumbai.

On January 31, 2011 a complaint was lodged at Malkajgiri Police station stating that Kumar, then 15-year-old left his house at Moula Ali here without informing his caretakers (sister and brother-in-law) and did not return.

Kumar originally hails from Bihar’s Madhubani district. Following the complaint, a missing case was registered and despite efforts police could not trace the boy and later they submitted a final report in October 2011.

“The boy’s brother-in-law came across him on Facebook and sent a friend request but he was reluctant and didn’t accept it.. later he changed his profile with different name after which the complainant intimated to Malkajgiri Police about his presence on the social networking site,” the Commissioner said. Based on that information, the Cyber Crimes sleuths investigated the case and traced the missing Kumar to Mumbai, Bhagwat added.